1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an orthosis to provide adjustable support and control to a patient suffering from cerebral palsy or of a similar medical condition, allowing the patient to stand and walk.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There is no known cure for cerebral palsy. Therefore, treatment for the condition is aimed at helping the patient make best use of his or her physical abilities. For many people with cerebral palsy, there are available braces and other devices that can provide that degree of support which will enable the person to walk, but for many, the severity of their condition prevents them from even attaining a standing position.
British Patent No. 2,231,500 issued to David Hart, who is also the inventor of this invention, discloses a walking support orthosis intended for those people having disabilities which may not be so severe that they would normally be unable to even attain standing position. The orthosis of said British Patent No. 2,231,500 comprises a wheeled frame, support mechanism, a body brace means for releasably securing the body brace to support mechanism, means for patient to control steering of wheeled frame, means for adjusting amount of lifting support to the patient, means for automatically braking the rear floor wheels in the event of the patient failing to maintain an upright posture.
The body brace of said British Patent 2,231,500 holds the body of the user fixed in position in relation to the support. No provision has been made for the normal leg swinging that is normal in walking. Such leg swinging is normal in walking in able bodied persons and therefore desirable to mimic in an orthosis. It would also be desirable to accentuate this action in an orthosis in order, inter alia, to provide follow through impetus to the user to take the next step.
Further desirable features in an orthosis of the type described and claimed in said British Patent would be the provision of foot manipulation means to discourage a toe-down stance in the user, shoe clamping means which is easily operable while providing a firm grip on the shoe. Also, importantly, an automatic brake to guard against undesirable uncontrolled rearward movement would be desirable. Such brakes should, of course, be disengageable when rearward movement is desired.
The present invention has addressed these concerns and has devised improvements to the orthosis which is the subject of this British Patent No. 2,231,500.